After the war in the 1980s, Nicaraguans have slowly been able to rebuild economically. With that has come many of the things that for a lot of people are simple basic household items, like televisions. We all know that television has the unfortunate ability to keep everybody on the couch, especially children, and that's what's happening back home in Nicaragua too. Kids are staying inside and old games that require physical activity are slowly disappearing.

I really enjoyed creating this painting of my nephew. It's a reminder of the games we used to play and some of the old traditions that remain in spite of the telenovelas and caricaturas heard from every doorway. I used to make my own baseballs out of old socks when I was little and Jeyson continues that practice today. I'm interested in doing more paintings like this that capture the traditions and pastimes enjoyed by my generation.